


The right kind of bad with the wrong kind of good

by coldflashwavebaby



Series: DCTV Disney Week 2017 [6]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe-Alice (Syfy), DCTV Disney Week, M/M, Not technically a Disney AU but oh well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-12-08 17:03:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11650932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coldflashwavebaby/pseuds/coldflashwavebaby
Summary: Barry didn’t know where he was. All he knew was that, one minute, he was running after his boyfriend, trying to give him the engagement ring he’d snuck in Barry’s pocket back, and the next, Barry was chasing after a group of men who threw a bag over Len’s head and dragged him away.After that, it was like an acid trip. Barry chased the man through an alley, only to see him jump through a mirror. Barry hadn’t been able to slow down in time before he skidded into the mirror and fell through the glass.





	The right kind of bad with the wrong kind of good

            Barry didn’t know where he was. All he knew was that, one minute, he was running after his boyfriend, trying to give him the engagement ring he’d snuck in Barry’s pocket back, and the next, Barry was chasing after a group of men who threw a bag over Len’s head and dragged him away.

            After that, it was like an acid trip. Barry chased the man through an alley, only to see him _jump through a mirror._ Barry hadn’t been able to slow down in time before he skidded into the mirror and fell through the glass.

            That’s how he ended up in the strange, dystopian-like place, where the buildings were built high and the walkways were one wrong step away from a long fall and a short splat. A strange, mechanical, bug-like ship hovered over the city, shining a light down like a police helicopter. When the light touched Barry’s arm, it burned, and a weird, green shape appeared on his forearm.

            No matter how hard he rubbed, it wouldn’t go away. The man who took Len showed up again, this time running into a nearby building.

            Long story short, it was a trap, and Barry ended up locked in a small box and mentally thanking Len for teaching him how to pick locks. When the bottom of the box fell out, he was hanging from the bug ship with a dozen other boxes. He elected to fall into the river below.

            Luckily, there was a man on the river’s edge willing to help when Barry introduced himself as Barry Allen.

            “I’ll take you to the Hatter,’ the ratty old man said, grabbing him by the arm and wrapping a piece of cloth around his new mark. “Can’t let anyone see that,” he explained. “I can’t be seen with an oyster.”

            Barry frowned. An oyster?

            But, the man didn’t wait for his questions. Instead, he let the man drag him by his arm through the precarious walkways until they came to a building with double doors and an electronic marquee. It looked like stock market information, but the different percentages were labeled things like, _Lust_ or _Confidence_.

            When he was pulled inside, he realized it was an auction house of some kind. The people inside were making offers for different bottles of colored liquids, each labeled with different emotions.

            Curiouser and curiouser.

            The ratty man led him to a side door, which opened into what looked like an office. The room was about the size of the West house’s ground floor, but only the back half was occupied. There was a little patch of grass against the tile floor where a white desk sat with one of those funky, dorm chairs. Behind it was a small wardrobe and a cabinet with more of the colored bottles inside.

            “Would you like a cup of tea?”

            Barry startled. He hadn’t even noticed someone was sitting _in the chair_ , the back turned towards the entrance. “Uhh, no, thank you. Who are you?”

            The chair spun, and Barry was met with an attractive, yet somewhat smug and playful face. He was wearing a top hat. Hatter, then. “A friend,” the Hatter answered, “I hope. I run the tea shop.”

            The ratty man pulled the rag off of Barry’s arm and showed him his mark. The Hatter stood up, his eyes fixed on Barry. “Interesting,” he grinned. “How did you get out of the Scarab? No offense, but you don’t seem especially strong or anything.”

            Barry rolled his eyes. “If you mean the bug thing, I picked the lock on the box. My boyfriend taught me how.”

            The Hatter’s grin grew. “Boyfriend, huh?” He sent Barry a wink. “And, I can see you fell into the river.”

            Yes, and Barry was freezing. That’s why he shivered when the man’s eyes traced down his drenched body. “Yeah…where am I?”

            “Oh!” The man exclaimed, like it was only just occurring to him that he had left that out. “Wonderland.”

            “That’s a story in a kid’s book.” Barry snorted, but the Hatter’s expression grew serious.

            “Does this look like a kid’s story to you?” Barry quickly shook his head, and the Hatter approached him to take a better look at his arm. “That was hundreds of years ago. You oysters have such short memories, you all just believe history is a story. Honestly, we like it that way.”

            Barry frowned. “Why am I an ‘oyster’?”

            The Hatter released his arm. “We call you oysters because of those little pearls inside of you. That isn’t going to come off by the way. Only people from your world get burned and marked by the light. That’s my name, by the way.”

            “Light?”

            “Mark,” the Hatter corrected. “The suits are the ones who mark you, like cattle.”

            Barry was so confused. “Suits? Cattle? What do you mean by pearls inside of us?”

            The ratty man cleared his throat. “He’s the one, isn’t he?” the man looked so excited, he was about to have a conniption. “He’s Alice. Like, the Alice of Legend.”

            Suddenly, Mark looked just as confused as Barry felt. Then, his grin returned. “Well,” he chuckled, circling Barry slowly. “ _The_ Alice.”

When he made it to the other man, he threw an arm around his shoulder. “Ratty here thinks you’re Alice of Legend. You see, a while back, someone named Alice came here and knocked down the House of Cards singlehanded. And made quite the impression.”

            He removed his arm with a roll of his eyes. “Except, there’s no fucking way this is the Alice of Legend, you idiot. She was a girl, and that was over a hundred years ago. Oysters don’t even live that long. What’s your name?”

            The last question was pointed at him. “Barry. Barry Allen.”

            “ALLEN!” He shouted. “Not _ALICE_ , you…” Mark took a deep breath.

            Ratty shifted nervously. “You’re still going to pay me though, right?”

            “I am not for sale!” Barry argued as Mark stomped back towards his cabinet. His hand hovered over the bottles for a few minutes, like he was trying to decide which one he was willing to part with. Finally, he settled on a bottle with a little bit of red liquid in it.

            “Here you go,” he announced, “extracted human excitement. Fifty oysters were drained of every bit of thrill so that you can finally feel what it’s like to not be such a loser.” He tossed Ratty the bottle, who caught it joyfully.

            “Forewarning—one drop at a time, or it might blow your tiny little heart to pieces.”

            Ratty didn’t seem to care though. He ran for the door, bottle in hand, humming giddily under his breath. Barry was still confused.

            “What do you mean ‘oysters were drained’?”

            Mark ignored his question, instead choosing to smell his hand. “Damn, he reeked. I think I need a shower after that. What can I help you with, Barry Allen?”

            He walked over to the closet and pulled out a scarlet red jacket.

            “I’m looking for my boyfriend, Leonard Snart,” Barry explained. “He was taken through a mirror by a man.”

            Mark paused. “Sam Scudder. He works for the White Rabbits, an organization the Suits run that use mirrors to go into your world and vanish people back here.”

            “Why?”

            “To use at the Hearts Casino.”

            Barry’s heart almost stopped. “Use? What do you mean ‘use’?”

            Mark shrugged. “They keep them alive and happy, if that’s what you’re worried about. Well, moderately happy.”

            So, Len was alive. That was a good sign. He just needed to get to the Casino and either bargain or bust him out. How hard could that be? “How do I get to this casino?”

            Mark snorted, like Barry said something adorable. “Oh, you don’t, sweetheart.” He strode back over to Barry with the coat. “But, I know people who know people that can get inside and save your boyfriend.”

            Barry swallowed hard when Mark started to circle behind him again. “And what do you want for your help?”

            “Do I need a reason” Mark asked, leaning in so his breath tickled Barry’s ear, “to help a pretty boy in a very wet shirt?”

            Barry turned his head to glare at the Hatter, and the man rolled his eyes. “Still don’t trust me? Here,” he slipped the coat over Barry’s shoulders, “it’ll cover the mark and keep you warm. Honestly, it’s a bit hurtful you’re so suspicious of me, _Barry_.”

            The way he said his name made Barry’s cheeks warm up, like he’d just whispered a dirty secret or something.

            When he finally stepped back, Barry breathed again.

            “Do you know why they call me ‘Hatter’?”

            Barry furrowed his brow. “Because you wear a hat?”

            Mark froze, like he’d never considered that _could_ be the reason people called him that. Then, he shook his head. “No. Because I’m there when they _pass the hat._ I help out, a lot.”

            Barry still didn’t believe him. It must have showed, because Mark just sighed. “Look, if I’m the frying pan, Wonderland is the fire. You won’t make it without me, then you’ll be in the same boat as….”

            _“Len_.”

            “Len.” Mark held out a hand to him. “Now, I know people who like helping oysters. I like helping them because then they owe me. That enough of a reason?”

            Barry knew he shouldn’t trust strangers. For all he knew, _Mark_ was the one who took Len. But he knew that Mark was right. He didn’t know Wonderland, and the Hatter did. So, he made a quick decision and grabbed Mark’s hand.


End file.
